Media Contact: Brianna Hoge
Gryshyna will use the prize money she received to advance her research on pain management techniques for HIV patients.Anastasiia Gryshyna, a graduate student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, won second place in the 2021 World AIDS Day Research Competition and was awarded $2,000 for research funding and a $125 personal prize.
“This accomplishment supports my goal of helping the UAB community explore potential techniques for people with HIV to better manage pain, and the funding from this competition will definitely have a great influence on my success,” said Gryshyna, who is enrolled in the UAB Department of Psychology’s behavioral neuroscience doctoral program.
Gryshyna’s presentation, “Role of Mast Cells in HIV-associated Chronic Widespread Pain,” looked at the current pain management techniques, including the use of opioids, and how they are often not sufficient to alleviate the pain in HIV.
Research awards and prize money were determined by a peer review popular vote at the end of the presentations. The goal of these funding awards is to support the generation of preliminary data, conference costs, or publication costs to present and publish research findings that will lead to externally funded grant applications.
“The funding from this competition will help me to continue my research on mast cell degranulation. Potential development of non-opioid therapeutics can help not only those who have HIV, but people with any chronic pain condition,” Gryshyna said. “This development is especially necessary considering the opioid epidemic that is happening right now.”
Gryshyna says her hope is to find a stable and efficient therapeutic that will be available to increase the quality of life for those with HIV and chronic pain.